The work is finished. The construction materials have been cleared away and now it’s time to open the Farmville splashpad for everyone to use. The town staff announced on Monday that there will be a grand opening for the project on Friday, June 28, beginning at 11 a.m. 

“The Mayor, Town Council, town staff and I are all excited about the opening of the splashpad,” Farmville Town Manager Dr. Scott Davis said. “This new attraction adds another element to the park and rises our recreational activities to a new level. We hope the community will come to the grand opening and enjoy it for years to come!” 

And don’t come to Friday’s event just looking for a ribbon cutting and speeches. The town staff encourages people to bring their swimwear and test out the splashpad with their kids, grandkids and other family. Food trucks will also be on hand, to help if families want to get lunch or just grab some ice cream to cool off. Now there are a few groundrules to follow here. First, no pets allowed. That’s no pets in the splashpad area period. Second, any children must be accompanied by an adult. You can’t just drop them off at the opening and then come back by to pick them up.

The grand opening is the next step in a nearly two year journey for town officials and residents alike. Back in September 2022, the town council voted unanimously to build the splashpad, placed on the same piece of property as Lions Park, but closer to the trail. Lions Park is located on West Third Street, at the entrance to the Wilck’s Lake island area. This splashpad is approximately 5,000 square feet and was paid for using money from the town’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

When is it open?

So ok, the grand opening is Friday. But what are the hours after that? It’s pretty simple. The splashpad will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. all week. This runs through Labor Day and of course, those hours are subject to change in case of bad weather.